Method of making articles from pulp



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W. H. DRAKE METHOD OF MAKING ARTICLES FROM PULP Filed March 17, 1922 Feb. 17, 1925.

w. H. DRAKE METHOD OF MAKING ARTICLES FROM PULP Filed March 17, 1 922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 S! 14 mambo v PATENT OFFICE WALTER H. DRAKE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

METHOD 0'! MAKING ARTICLES FROM PULP.

Application filed March 17, 1922. Serial No. 544,472.

' 1919, 14,973, re-issued October26, 1920, and

co-pending application Serial No. 530,512, filed January 20, 1922, by eliminating from the disclosures of said several patents and application the duct which leads approximately entirely across the mold and substituting therefor means for roducin a current of pulp carrying liqui across t e moldthrough the contained body of pulp by substituting the necessary nozzle for producingsuch current and causing the current to impinge against the side of the mold opposite the inlet and to form eddy currents, some or all of which travel against or contiguous to the sides of the mold.

A further object of the invention is to provide a process of forming articles from pulp which consists in employing a foraminous mold having at one side an inlet with a nozzle so proportioned that pressure exerted upon the inflowing pulp content will project a current of pu p carrylng liquid en-. tirely across the mold, impinging upon the side opposite, producin ebu itions in the mold and later intro ucing through the same nozzle air, superheated steam or other anhydrous fluid which is likewise projected across the mold through the contained body of pulp, continuing the ebullition and breaking the contents up into bubbles which are violently thrown against the sides of the mold and the deposited film, driving out the watery carri e, and depositing the fibers in a substantia 1y uniform sheet over the entire interior of the mold surface except at the corners which are, by reason of the eddy currents, formed rounded and reinforced.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises certain novel steps of the process and certain novel parts, elements, units, combinations, interactions and me chanical movements of the apparatus as dis closed in the drawings, together with mechanical equivalents thereof as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of a machine adapted to carry out the present process, being substantlally identical in its mechanical. movementswith' the disclosure of co-pending apphcation Serial No. 530,512.

Figures 2, v3 and 4 are res ectively diagrammatlc views ,of the severa steps of the processillustrating the sequence of the introduction of pulp under comparatively sl ght pressure. the increasing of the pressure on the pulp and the cutting oil of the pulp and introduction of anhydrous fluid under still greater pressure formingebullition and bubbles.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. I

The apparatus which forms a art of the present apphcation and by whic the process 1s practiced is inits mechanical parts substantially similar to the device shown in co-pending application Serial No. 530,512

and is not essential to the present invention. A foraminous mold 1.0, constructed in separable sections, is essential and for that purpose a bottom 11, also movable. and a foraminous top 12'are disclosed. Cam mechanism 13 is disclosed at Figure 1 for operating the lever 14 carrying a ring 15, which surrounds the mold, and by reason of the rollers 16 and cam slots 17 serve to open and close the side sections of the mold as the lever 14 is oscillated. A lever 18 also carries the bottom section 11 and is actuated from the same cam mechanism,

Above the mold a reservoir 19 is provided.-

having a conduit 20 receiving a supply of pulp carrying fluid from the tank 21. A valve 22 is employed and in the structure shown at Figure lthis valve is also mechanically actuated in timed relation from the cam mechanism 13 through the link 23. Ap air or steam inlet pipe 24 is controlled by a valve 25 which is also in they particular structure shown at Figure 1 actuated in timed relation from the cam mechanism 13 by the link 26. While the identical structure shown at Figure 1 is not essential to the present invention. some mechanical means for actuating the several parts in timed relation is desirable to carry out the invention in its perfected form.

cumstances, the nozzle is so formed and tapered that the pulp carrying fluid from the tank 21 through the conduit 20, valve 22 and reservoir 19 is projected into the mold under force which will project a current or stream of the pulp carrying fluid entirely across the mold to impinge upon I the opposite side.

.It is the intent to employ a fluid carrying a small percentage of pulp so that the entire amount of fluid introduced into the mold will be several times the capacity of the mold, whereby the liquid or watery earriage is forced outwardly through the foraminous part of the mold, depositing the fibers upon the mold surface. Asshown at Figure 2, the pulp carrying fluid is admitted from the tank under gravity pressure, but by reason of the position of the parts sufficient so that the liquid will form a current entirely across the mold, impinging upon the side opposite, forming eddy currents which flow upwardly about and against and contiguous to the mold surfaces at the sides and the top, and by reason of the ebullition and eddy currents and the consequent continual movement and lifting of the liquid content by reason of the infiowing current. the fibers are moved rapidly about' within the mold to deposit upon those parts and at those spots through which the watery carriage flow most freely which will, of course, be the thinner spots of the deposit whereby great uniformity of deposit is attained. The deposit of the fibers upon the surface of the mold prevents the flowing of the carriage freely therethrough under the gravity pressure and at this point the flow of the carriage from the tank is cut off by the closing of the valve 22, a considerable volume of pulp carrying liquid still remaining in the reservoir 19. The valve 25 is now opened to admit air, superheated steam or other anhydrous fluid into and upon the top of the pulp content within this reservoir, as disclosed more particularly at Figure 3, and such air or steam being under considerably greater pressure than the initial gravity pressure, the pressure upon the pulp content not only within the reservoir 19 but within the mold is augmented, whereby the watery carriage is forced through the deposit and the weak or thinner spots of the deposit again uniformly attacked by the deposit. It is obvious that the content of the reservoir 19 will very quickly be ex- 'hausted by the incoming all or steam, but

the inflow of such anhydrous fluid is continued and by reason of the pressure is projected entirely across the mold, the same as the original inlet under gravity or the inflow of the pulp under the augmented air pressure whereby the air gets under the content and lifts the same, producing bubbles and ebullition within the mold, as shown more particularly at Figure 4, such bubbles carrying fibers which are thrown against the deposit upon the mold surface and deposit thereby completed. Air or steam pressure is continued to drive out of the interstices of the deposit the water remaining therein and to thereby dry the deposit to such an extent as may be desired, depending upon the duration of flow of the anhydrous fluid.

It will be noted that in the prior patents and application referred to, a duct is employed extending the major part of the distance across the mold whereby the pulp carrying liquid discharged into the mold is discharged from the lower end of the duct adjacent to the bottom of the mold, producing like eddy currents which flow upwardly around the duct in the space between such duct and the mold walls, producing the deposit just above referred to, but the present improvement eliminates this duct and substitutes therefor a nozzle which does not extend into the mold any appreciable distance, but by discharging a current of either the pulp carrying liquid or the anhydrous fluid under pressure suflicient to penetrate the body of contained liquid, both the pulp carrying liquid and the anhydrous fluid are discharged upon the bottom of the mold forming the eddy currents for the deposit of the fibers in substantially the same manner. As pointed out at the beginning, the nozzle 27 is preferably made interchangeable so that for different sizes ofwork or varying conditions the nozzles may be changed, whereby the momentum of the impinging current shall be regulated so that the bottom shall be substantially uniform with the sides and top in thickness of deposit.

lVhat I claim is:

1. The method of moldin an article from pulp consisting in filling a oraminous mold with pulp carrying liquid, continuing to introduce said liquid in excess of filling under pressure to establish a 'et-like current flowing across said mold an contained liquid and im ingin on t e side opposite its ingress, an there y establishing eddy currents in said contents, some of which flow in contact with and contiguous to the walls of said mold.

2. The method of molding an article from pulp consisting in filling a foraminous mold throu h saidwith pulp carrying liquid, continuing to introduce said liquid in excess of filling and under pressure to establish a jet-like current flowing across said mold through and of said contained liquid and impinging on the side opposite its ingress, and thereby establishing ebullition and eddy currents in said contents, some of which flow in contact with and contiguous to the walls of said mold.

3. The method of molding an article from pulp consisting in filling a foraminous mold with pulp carrying liquid, continuing to introduce said liquid in excess of filling and under pressure to establish a jet-like current flowing across said mold through said contained liquid and impinging 011 the side opposite its ingress and thereby establishing eddy currents in said contents, some of which flow in contact with and contiguous to the walls of said mold, and increasing the ebullition by augmenting the pressure upon the inflowing liquid.

4. The method of molding an article from pulp consisting in filling a foraminous mold with pulp carrying liquid, continuing to introduce said liquid in excess of filling and under pressure to establish a jet-like current flowing across said mold through and of said contained liquid and impinging on the side opposite its ingress and thereby establishing ebullition and eddy currents in said contents, some of which flow in contact with and contiguous to the walls of said mold, and increasing the ebullition by augmenting the pressure upon the inflowing liquid.

5. The method of molding an article from pulp consisting in filling a foraminous mold with pulp carrying liquid, continuing to introduce said liquid in excess of filling and under pressure-to establish a jet-like current flowing across said mold through said contained liquid and impingin on the side opposite its ingress and there y establishing eddy currents in said contents, some of which flow in contact with and contiguous to the walls of said mold, and initiating the introduction of an anhydrous fluid under pressure to continue the ebullition and drive the remaining liquid through and from the foraminous Walls.

6. The method of molding an article from pulp consisting in filling a foraminous mold with pulp carrying liquid, continuing to introduce said liquid in excess of filling and under pressure to establish a jet-like current flowing across said mold through and of said contained liquid and impinging on the side opposite its ingress and thereby establishing ebullition and eddy currents in said contents, some of which flow in contact with and contiguous to the walls of said mold, and initiating the introduction of an anhydrous fluid under pressure to continue the ebullition anddrive out the remaining liquid through and from the foraminous walls.

7. The method of molding an article from pulp consisting in filling a foraminous mold with pulp carryin liquid, continuing to introduce said liqui in excess of filling and under pressure to establish a jet-like current flowing across said mold through said contained liquid, and impinging on the side opposite its ingress and thereby establish- 'ing eddy currents in said contents, some of which flow in contact with and contiguous to the walls of said mold, increasing the ebullition by augmenting the pressure upon the inflowing liquid and initiating the introduction of an anhydrous fluid under pressure to continue the ebullition and drive out the remaining liquid through and from the foraminous walls.

8. The method of forming articles from pulp consisting of filling a foraminous mol-d with a pulp carrying liquid and continuing by injecting into the top of the mold additional pulp carrying liquid to form a jetlike current entirely across the mold at such velocity as to impact upon the bottom of the mold and be deflected to lift the contained liqui-d and therewith to flow upwardly along the sides and to the top of the mold and in opposition to and surrounding said current.

9. The method of forming articles from pulp consisting in filling a foraminous mold with a pulp carrying liquid and continuing by injection into one side of said mold additional pulp carrying liquid to form a jetlike current entirely across the mold at such velocity as to impact upon the wall of the mold opposite the inflow and to be deflected to form a flow of the liquid along other sides of the mold in opposition to and surrounding said current.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WALTER H. DRAKE. 

